Supreme Court acquits 11 men in 1993 Surat twin blasts cases

The Supreme Court on Friday acquitted all eleven persons who were convicted and sentenced to jail terms ranging from 10 to 20 years in 1993 Surat twin blasts cases in which one girl was killed and 31 others were injured.

A bench headed by Justice T S Thakur passed the order on cross appeals filed by the accused and the Gujarat government challenging the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court's verdict in the case.

The two blasts had taken place in January 1993 in Varachha area and on the platform number one of Surat railway station during the communal riots that broke out after the demolition of Babri Masjid.

The blast at Varachha had claimed the life of a school girl, Alpa Patel, and injured 11 others, while that on the railway station had wounded around 20 people.

In October 2008, a TADA court in Surat had sentenced five persons, including former Congress minister Mohammad Surti, to 20 years in prison while others were awarded 10 years jail term in the cases.

Image: The blasts took place during the communal riots that broke out after the demolition of Babri Masjid